Teacher sidelined by rare cancer after complaining of 'stomach bug'

In December, Victoria Flores was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, a bile duct cancer, after she initially sought treatment for a suspected stomach bug in August.(iStock)

A 31-year-old elementary school teacher in San Antonio was forced to miss her son’s first birthday and is asking for prayers after she was diagnosed with a rare cancer that typically strikes in patients over 50.

In December, Victoria Flores was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, a bile duct cancer, after she initially sought treatment for a suspected stomach bug in August.

“It was a waiting game for about four days before they found out exactly what it was,” Flores, a third-grade teacher at Brauchle Elementary School, told FoxSanAntonio.com.

She’s since undergone five weeks of chemotherapy, but her diagnosis surprised doctors. According to a GoFundMe page started by friends, Flores is not a candidate for surgery or radiation due to the tumor’s massive size.

“It’s not a very common diagnosis and to have it in such a young person is a rather unusual presentation, Dr. Sridhar Beeram, Flores’ doctor, told the news outlet.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the cancer is typically more common in males than females, and strikes in patients between 50 and 70 years old. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, jaundice, itching and weakness.